Bill read the first time; to be read a second time on Friday 23 April, and to be printed (Bill 51).

4 Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill (Programme) (No. 3)

Motion made and Question put, That

(1) the Order of 3 November 2009 in the last Session of Parliament (Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill (Programme) (No. 2)) be varied as follows: in the Table, for the entry relating to the third and fourth days of Committee there shall be substituted:

TABLE

Third day

Proceedings

Time for conclusion of proceedings

Clauses 24 to 28, new Clauses relating to Part 2, new Schedules relating to Part 2, Clause 35, Schedule 5, new Clauses relating to Part 4, new Schedules relating to Part 4, new Clauses relating to the effect of section 18(7) of the Electoral Administration Act 2006.

The moment of interruption on the third day.

Fourth day

Proceedings

Time for conclusion of proceedings

Clauses 29 and 30, Schedule 4, Clauses 31 to 34, new Clauses relating to Part 3, new Schedules relating to Part 3, remaining new Clauses, remaining new Schedules, Clauses 59 to 62, remaining proceedings on the Bill.

The moment of interruption on the fourth day.

(2) notwithstanding paragraphs 3 and 4 of that Order, if the proceedings shown for the third day in the first column of the Table above are concluded before the moment of interruption on the third day, the proceedings shown for the fourth day may be taken on the third day.(Mr Michael Wills.)

The House resolved itself into a Committee (Orders, 3 November 2009 in the last Session of Parliament and today).

(In the Committee)

Clause 24 (Treaties to be laid before Parliament before ratification)

Amendment 114 proposed.(Mr Andrew Dismore.)

Question proposed, That the Amendment be made.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

Amendment 1 proposed.(David Howarth.)

Question put, That the Amendment be made.

The Committee divided.

Division No. 42.

Ayes: 232 (Tellers: Mr Alan Reid, Dan Rogerson).

Noes: 277 (Tellers: Mark Tami, Mary Creagh).

Question accordingly negatived.

Amendment 125 proposed.(Mr Mark Francois.)

Question put, That the Amendment be made.

The Committee divided.

Division No. 43.

Ayes: 183 (Tellers: Jeremy Wright, James Duddridge).

Noes: 303 (Tellers: Steve McCabe, Mrs Sharon Hodgson).

Question accordingly negatived.

Clause agreed to.

Clause 25 agreed to.

Clause 26 (Section 24 not to apply in exceptional cases)

Amendment 116 proposed.(David Howarth.)

Question put, That the Amendment be made.

The Committee divided.

Division No. 44.

Ayes: 62 (Tellers: Mr Alan Reid, Mr Adrian Sanders).

Noes: 275 (Tellers: Steve McCabe, Mrs Sharon Hodgson).

Question accordingly negatived.

It being after 10.00 pm, the Chairman put the Questions necessary to bring to a conclusion proceedings on Clauses 24 to 28, new Clauses relating to Part 2, new Schedules relating to Part 2, Clause 35, Schedule 5, new Clauses relating to Part 4, new Schedules relating to Part 4, new Clauses relating to the effect of section 18(7) of the Electoral Administration Act 2006 (Order, today).

Clause 26 agreed to.

Clauses 27, 28 and 35 agreed to.

Amendments 96 to 99 made.

Question put, That Schedule 5, as amended, be agreed to.

The Committee divided.

Division No. 45.

Ayes: 263 (Tellers: Steve McCabe, Mrs Sharon Hodgson).

Noes: 53 (Tellers: Mr Alan Reid, Willie Rennie).

Question accordingly agreed to.

A Clause (NC 57) (Section 3 of the Act of Settlement)(Mr Dave Watts)brought up, read the first and second time, and added to the Bill.

_________________

The Deputy Speaker resumed the Chair.

Mr Dave Watts reported, That the Committee had made progress in the Bill, and moved, That the Committee may have leave to sit again.

Committee again tomorrow.

6 Statutory Instrument: Motion for Approval

Motion made and Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 118(6)), That the draft Enactment of Extra-Statutory Concessions (No. 2) Order 2009, which was laid before this House on 10 November, in the previous Session of Parliament, be approved.(Mr Dave Watts.)

Question agreed to.

7 European Union Police Mission in Afghanistan (EUPOL Afghanistan)

Motion made and Question put forthwith (Standing Order No. 119(11)), That this House takes note of an unnumbered explanatory memorandum dated 2 November 2009 from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on the Council Joint Action amending Joint Action 2007/369/CFSP on the establishment of the European Union Police Mission in Afghanistan; and agrees with the Government that the mission is now making an important contribution to the international effort to reform the Afghan National Police.(Mr Dave Watts.)

Question agreed to.

8 Business of the House

Motion made, That, at the sitting on Thursday 21 January, notwithstanding Standing Order No. 20 (Time for taking private business) the Private Business set down by the Chairman of Ways and Means may be entered upon at any hour, and may then be proceeded with, though opposed, for three hours, after which the Speaker shall interrupt the business.(Mr Dave Watts.)

Objection taken (Standing Order No. 9(6)).

9 Section 5 of the European Communities (Amendment) Act 1993

Motion made, That, for the purposes of its approval under section 5 of the European Communities (Amendment) Act 1993, the Government's assessment as set out in the Pre-Budget Report 2009 shall be treated as if it were an instrument subject to the provisions of Standing Order No. 118 (Delegated Legislation Committees).(Mr Dave Watts.)

Objection taken (Standing Order No. 9(6)).

10 Public Petitions

A Public Petition from persons resident in the South West Devon parliamentary constituency and others, relating to Badman Report (South West Devon) was presented by Mr Gary Streeter.

11 Adjournment

Subject: Electricity transmission in North Somerset (Dr Liam Fox).

Resolved, That this House do now adjourn.(Mr Dave Watts.)

Adjourned at 10.53 pm until tomorrow.

_________________

Other proceedings

General Committees: Reports

12 Children, Schools and Families Bill

Mr David Amess (Chairman) reported:

(1) That the Committee had come to the following Resolution, That, subject to the discretion of the Chair, any written evidence received by the Committee shall be reported to the House for publication; and

(2) Written evidence.

Written evidence to be published.

13 Energy Bill

Hugh Bayley (Chairman) reported written evidence submitted to the Committee.

(1) Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme: Government Response to the Business and Enterprise Committee's Tenth Report of Session 2008-09: Second Special Report, to be printed, with the Formal Minutes relating to the Report (HC 307);

(2) The work of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills: Evidence, to be printed (HC 299-i)

(Peter Luff).

22 Communities and Local Government Committee

(1) Local authority investments: the role of the Financial Services Authority: Second Report, to be printed, with the Formal Minutes relating to the Report (HC 287);